Quins v Trailfinders
The game had the strangest start.
Georgia Ponsonby and Alana Borland collided under pressure and both had to leave the field. Cristina Blanco and Emma Taylor, a late replacement, spent little time on the bench.
For TF to persist to the end and squeeze out a victory spoke volumes for their attitude. For Quins it was yet another loss; their previous win a tense 1-pointer in the reverse match at the end of January.
The fans’ eyes were on the players selected for their national sides. There were six in John Mitchell’s selection, but only two likely first choices, Meg Jones and Ellie Kildunne.
Jones showed the danger she is with an interception, but her follow-up kick straight into touch betrayed what I see as her one weakness. It wasn’t to be her last. But Barney Maddison persists with her as his principal kicker.
The TF pack now set the tone. They heaved at the Quins’ line, and Tanya Kalounivale claimed the score. 0-7
As Aoife Wafer and Claudia Pena displayed their different skills, news broke that the two Black Ferns would not return. They are due back home at the end of the month for the Pac-4, so we wish them a swift recovery.
The two packs went at each other hammer and tongs, but the centres were another centre of interest; Pena and Sarah Parry versus Jones and Emma Uren. All had their moments. I’d call it a score-draw.
The visiting pack came close again, but Taylor was held up, and Lizzie Hanlon did well to stop Abi Burton in her tracks just short.
On 20 minutes Craig Maxwell-Keys gave Jade Konkel a general warning: too many penalties. Both sides were fallible here, but I suspect Quins paid the higher price.
They mounted a promising attack, but were called back for an offside at a kick ahead, one of rugby’s beastlier laws. Still, they got into the game when Connie Powell, a constant threat, forced her way over.
TF were nearly in again, but a fluent movement ended when Taylor, at outside-centre, found a quartered shirt to pass to, not her winger.
Half-time: 5-7
The match was typical of so many in the league this season: fast, tough and desperately close.
Quins restarted the way they meant to. Nicole Wythe made a powerful thrust to the line, to add doubts to the England decision to omit her from their squad. They were ahead. 12-7
But the TF pack was showing its muscle, despite the two missing Kiwis. They indulged in pick-and-goes on the line, then Brooke Bradley sold a clever dummy to regain the lead. 12-14
Now came the sweetest try of the game. Pena made a break, then delivered a 24-carat offload out of the back door to Beth Wilcock on the right wing. She weaved past flailing arms to regain a vital lead. 17-14
Seven minutes to go. Could they hold out for a precious win?
No, because TF finished on top. The pack got to work again, and Burton managed to cross the line. Niamh Gallagher showed her quality by completing her third conversion out of three from the edge.
Result: Harlequins 17 Trailfinders 21
Player of the Match: Cristina Blanco (a rare honour for a bench player, but she was in action for most of the 80 minutes.)
Teams
Quins: 15 KILDUNNE 14 WILCOCK 13 PENA 12 PARRY 11 AUCKEN 10 K. POWELL 9 BURGESS 1 TURANI 2 C. POWELL 3 HANLON 4 MIKAELE TU’U 5 KONKEL (captain) 6 WYTHE 7 SVOBODA 8 WAFER
16 PHILLIPS 17 SPURRIER 18 DELGADO 19 MCINTOSH 20 MEULLER 21 CROMACK 22 TUIMA 23 TORLEY
Trailfinders: 15 N. GALLAGHER 14 WHITE 13 JONES 12 UREN 11 COX 10 C. GALLAGHER 9 BRADLEY 1 MONTIEL 2 PONSONBY 3 KALOUNIVALE 4 ROOS 5 WASSELL 6 BORLAND 7 MALCOLM (captain) 8 BURTON
16 BLANCO 17 LEATHERMAN 18 TUFFNAIL 19 TAYLOR 20 HEAD 21 AMORY 22 LAFLIN 23 BOATMAN
Afterthoughts
The result takes Trailfinders above Quins into 4th place, but their run-in is by far the toughest. Only three national captains in their side this evening. Kate Zackary has suffered a nasty facial injury, so best wishes to her.
Quins should regain their fourth place, but they have lost the knack of clinching close games.
Many congratulations to Sara Svoboda on gaining her doctorate. This huge achievement throws into sharp relief the whole question of turning the PWR (and much of women’s rugby?) into a professional concern.
The game marked Ella Amory’s 50th cap for Trailfinders, the first of their number to achieve this honour. She was chaired off the field.
As with the other Europeans (Spain, Sweden) on view here, it is such a pity that her nation Belgium doesn’t enjoy the same standing as the six nations who do battle next month.
